11-Year-Old Canadian Dies of Rabies After Bat Contact on Vacation

An 11-year-old boy from Northern Ontario died of rabies after a bat landed on his face while he was on vacation in the summer of 2024. The child swatted the bat away, and his father later captured and released the animal. Because there were no visible bite marks, the boy did not receive post-exposure prophylaxis for about 19 days. He subsequently developed facial numbness and persistent vomiting, and was initially treated for Bell’s palsy at an urgent-care clinic. After his condition worsened, he was taken to an emergency department where doctors, aware of the bat exposure, administered rabies treatment. Despite the intervention, he died 17 days after hospital admission.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal noted that rabies is almost entirely preventable with timely care, as the virus spreads through bites or scratches from infected animals and can cause severe brain disease and death if symptoms appear without prior treatment.